Former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner died during an adventure trip in the desert of Palo Verde Valley, Calif. The exact cause of death is unknown.

The 37-year-old's body was recovered Monday after a three-day search by emergency personnel.

Temperatures were as high as 114 degrees at the time of the search.

Tanner's body was spotted from a U.S. Marine helicopter two miles from the campground where his belongings were found earlier.

According to Tanner's management Driving Force Sports, the fighter left for his trip Wednesday, Sept. 3, asking friends to call for help if he didn't return right away from what Tanner had described as a high-risk adventure.

Lt. George Moreno of the Imperial County Sheriff's Department said Tanner's friend Kyria McBrayer called emergency services Friday to report him missing.

Tanner, a mixed martial arts pioneer, was one of the first fighters to effectively combine the three arts of wrestling, Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai in competition. His fighting career spanned more than 10 years with a 32-8 record.

Fans remember Tanner not only for his exciting fighting style, but for his candor and vagabond lifestyle. In his blog, Tanner documented his problems with gambling and alcohol that lead to him being homeless and destitute for months before he was able to overcome his demons and return to the cage thanks to a friend letting him sleep on his gym floor.

Tanner never sought fortune and fame through fighting; he looked at it as an opportunity for him to explore the world and himself. He fought from Japan to Las Vegas and used his pay days to fund his boating and motorcycle adventure trips.

A genuine free spirit whose life captured the romanticism of a Jack Kerouac novel, Tanner will always be remembered as a man who lived life on his terms and inspired all those around him.

"Believe in yourself. Believe in your own potential for greatness. Believe that you can change the world. It is something that is within each of us, "Evan Tanner wrote on his official MySpace site.